Near Doctor Experience
by Cartooned
Summary: ‘I think death has been waiting for you for a long time.’ What if she was more right then she knew? Inspired by November Prompt 27, from Time and Chips.


Near Doctor Experience

**Summery**: '_I think death has been waiting for you for a long time_.' What if she was more right then she knew? Inspired by November Prompt 27, from Time and Chips.

**Disclaimer:** I'm sure you know I don't own Doctor Who and Death is only visiting from Discworld by Terry Prachett, and will be returned with minimum damage.

Okay, this is my first Doctor Who fic, so I'm a little bit worried about basically everything. So feedback would be appreciated.

The Doctor stood silent holding the console of the Tardis, even as pain swept though him as every cell in his body died. He glanced up towards Rose, his fantastic Rose, still passed out asleep on the floor of the Tardis.

"Look after her girl," he whispered to the Tardis, "She saved the universe. Wiped every stinking Dalek out of the sky, can't say that about most companions."

He had never told her, never said that he might regenerate but what was the point of telling her? Always running, they were. No time to stop and chat. Would the new him look after her? Would she even understand? She's only a human, but she's clever, fantastic even, if anyone could understand that it was still him with a different face and personality it would be her.

Pain. Not something he was used to experiencing, not since the war, but for Rose he would embrace it. At least he could regenerate. Come back in some shape and form. He only hoped the yellow pants and celery in the lapel didn't make a comeback.

The regeneration was minutes away, and Rose was still passed out. He held it back, he had to be able to say goodbye, he had to explain at least briefly what was happening, and he had to tell her. That she was...that she is…..fantastic. He needed that moment, before the new him took over. Would she like him better? Would he even care for her, or appreciate just how fantastic she is? The human who ended the time war.

ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE ALL DAY? said a familiar hollow voice from behind him that echoed around his head. I HAVE THINGS TO DO. It added a touch reproachfully.

The Doctor didn't need to turn around to see him. He could already picture the skeletal figure behind him as if it was burned onto his retina. The grinning skull gleaming from under the black hooded cloak and robe, the bight blue lights that masqueraded as eyes, and the long scythe, which was as much a part of Death as the sonic screwdriver was a part of him.

I LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH THE PLACE said the figure awkwardly, as if it wasn't used to small talk as it walked around the console so it was facing the Doctor. THE WHITE THEME WHO USED TO HAVE HERE WAS BLINDING.

"And very hard to keep clean. Do you mind cutting the small talk," said the Doctor, "What are you doing here? I'm not dying. I'm regenerating."

BUT YOU ARE STILL HAVING A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE, WHICH MEANS I MUST HAVE A NEAR DOCTOR EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY AS YOU CONTUINE TO HOLD BACK YOUR REGENERATION. IT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED 37 SECONDS AGO, said Death as it checked an old hourglasses that looked like it had been dropped and repaired quite a few times. Scratches lined the wood like fingerprints, and the sand was all in the bottom glasses. On the top written over a word that had been scratched out was 'Doctor'. YOU HAVE ONLY MINUTES BEFORE YOUR NEXT REGENERATION FORCES THOUGH, UNLESS YOU WISH TO END YOUR EXISTENCE COMPLENTLY?

"No! I won't leave her," said the Doctor bluntly, his voice thick with emotion.

SHE WON'T WAKE UP IN TIME

"I don't care. I'll wait, as long as it takes."

IT IS ONLY A REGENERATION, YOU WOULD NOT BE LEAVING HER. IT WOULD STILL BE YOU.

"She's only a human, she wouldn't understand," said the Doctor short tempered. "I need a chance to explain…"

I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD BE THE LAST PERSON WHO WOULD UNDERESTIMATE WHAT A HUMAN IS CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING.

"This is different. This is Rose. I can't just up and change, and I want my chance to say goodbye, my chance to tell her how fantastic she is, I don't suppose you can tell me what I'm, going to end up with this time? I just hope the celery in the lapel doesn't make a come back, not my best idea that."

IF YOU DELAY THE REGENERATION ANY LONGER, YOU WILL COMPROMISE THE REGENERATION PROCESS.

The Doctor shrugged, "It's happened before. I lost my memory for a while, but I survived."

YOU WOULD DO THAT FOR HER?

"Yes. She's worth it."

Death nodded. A few specks of black sand appeared in the top glass, even as the Doctor felt the pain of regeneration lessen.

YOU HAVE HALF AN HOUR. SHE WILL WAKE IN TWENTY. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.

The Doctor ginned, "I won't," he promised, "and thank you, for the borrowed time."

The skeletal figure shrugged his shoulders; I AM A IMMORTAL ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONFICATIONM. I HAVE TIME TO SPARE. BESIDES, WE ARE OLD FRIEDNS IN A WAY. I HAVE RARELY ATTENDED THE DEATH OF A PERSON ONCE, NEVERMIND NINE TIMES.

The Doctor grinned, "I'm difficult that way."

The skull grinned as it gleamed in the green light of the Tardis, WHEN IT COMES TIME, I WILL HAVE THE SWORD NICE AND SHARP.

"I thought a scythe was more your usual style," said the Doctor.

YOU ARE THE LAST OF YOUR KIND, A TIME LORD. A SWORD IS USED FOR ROYALTY. IT'S THE RULES. Death said, sounding almost apologetic.

The Doctor nodded, "What can you tell me about Rose? Is she going to be okay?

Death nodded. SHE WILL NOT HAVE A VIST FROM ME FOR SOME TIME TO COME, BUT HER HOURGLASS NOW RESIDES IN TWO DIMENSIONS.

"But that's impossible!" exclaimed the Doctor, "You can't travel across dimensions. Not without the rest of the time lords."

I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD KNOW BETTER THEN ANYONE, AFTER ALL YOU HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED, THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. Death looked at the watch, wired to his radis and ulna on his left wrist. I'VE GOT TO BE GOING; BINKY DOESN'T LIKE TO BE KEPT WAITING.

"Binky?"

MY HORSE,

The Doctor grinned, "That's just fantastic, but no offense, I don't want to run into you for at least a couple of years."

NONE TAKEN, said Death even as he disappeared though the walls of the Tardis.

* * *

In a world that exists outside known dimensions, in a house designed by a immortal anthropomorphic personification who liked the color black was a room of infinitive size, filled with hourglasses. On one of the shelves, a scratched up hourglass rose up above the others, before it turned itself over; starting afresh, before it settled down among the others.

FANTASTIC said the skeletal figure as it tested out the new word. THAT'S FANTASTIC.


End file.
